As a rule of thumb, The size of the winch is at least 1.5 times the weight of your jeep.
I always find it difficult to choose the perfect winch size that can fit and work perfectly in jeeps.
Unless I find the way out of this misery, this guide article will provide all the information about how you can find what size winch is perfect for jeeps.
Winches vary in size, so do jeeps which make it hard to find a perfect match.
To find and choose the best, you should consider a few factors that will surely help you make a positive buying decision.
3 Ways To Take Measurement
- The first thing to measure is the tire’s diameter with calipers or wrap the tape around them. You should do this first step as there is no point in going on further if you don’t have a precise measurement. So be prepared with some simple measuring tools and get the job done in minutes.
- Now use this measurement as the baseline to measure other things like vehicle body length, floor area, hood clearance, doors opening etc. All these things play an important role in finding the right winch size. Once you get all these factors sorted out, go on further with other necessary parts like motor, cable length, spool diameter, etc.
- If you want to install your winch into your jeep’s frame, you can take measurements from its factory holes or drill one or two extra holes on it to give more space for installation. If you don’t want to drill extra holes into your vehicle frame, then take measurements from inside the frame using those 3mm screw threads available on the winch itself.
This would give you some idea about how big your winch would be after installation.
If you have any problems during installation, check these holes again for loose bolts or studs, etc.
All above are easy ways to find out the winch size, but sometimes we are required to measure the inside of our vehicle’s frame using 3mm screw threads available on the winch itself.
Calculate Extra Room
To know how much of that extra room is needed for the winch size, we need to calculate the length of screw threads.
which will come around 0.5 inches (approx 12 mm), which can be deducted from the total length of the winch, which comes around 40 inches (approx 100 cm).
For Different Jeep TJ Models
For Jeep TJ models, only 7 inch long screws threads can be used, which could be a possible factor in deciding winch size.
This might help you if you have a problem while calculating winch size.
So make sure that your vehicle has 8-inch long screw threads,
and it won’t let you down in case you find yourself in trouble while measuring winch size.
Things To Remember Before Starting Installation
- Before installing your winch, firstly, ensure that all hardware accessories are removed and bolt patterns match perfectly with those in the winch itself.
- Then place the winch properly on the ground before final tightening of all bolts and studs etc.
- Ensure that all nuts are completely tightened as we don’t want them to fly off during high winds or other unforeseen reasons.
- After ensuring all nuts are completely tightened, go ahead with tightening studs, stud nuts, winder plates, rocker arms, etc.
- All hardware parts like the winder plate, crankshaft, etc. are best attached using good quality 10-inch rubber-coated duct/duct straps so that they don’t vibrate too much during normal running of the vehicle.
- Finally, when everything is in place, test the winch by applying a small load on it for 15 minutes to ensure it is properly installed and there are no signs of loosening or falling apart.
Here Are Some Facts You Should Consider Before Buying Any Winch
1. Size & Performance
First of all, check what size your jeep has on its top or rear doors.
Usually, there is no point in adding more space if you already have plenty of space to work with.
Plus, extra space makes it easier to use a winch without compromising your overall efficiency.
2. Safety-test
Testing before choosing the right size, Always take safety seriously before considering the size of a winch.
If you want to install a winch on your vehicle then, test the product thoroughly and see if it fits properly or not.
Check how safe it is for driving on highways or back roads.
And most importantly, try out all possible methods and ways of installing the winch and ensure that they are efficient and do not harm your vehicle in any way.
3. Versatility
Do you need to carry large items like gravel or timber logs? You would likely require more versatility than others.
A small and lightweight winch may not be enough for this task.
It would be best to have a bigger and heavy-duty winch that can lift much heavier weights than small winches.
So before choosing the size of a winch for jeeps, think about how versatile it will be for you.
4. Price
If you are tight on budget, choose a smaller and lighter winch for easy handling.
If you have money to spare, choose a larger and heavier winch that can easily handle any task with much ease.
Also, compare the prices of different brands before choosing the right one.
You may be tempted to buy a cheap one because of its lower price. But later find out it doesn’t serve the purpose well.
Conclusion
When choosing a winch for jeeps, remember these simple yet essential things. And ensure that you are buying the right product for your needs.
The bigger the winch, the better its efficiency and capability to handle all jobs. We recommend a 12V electric winch with 6000lbs pull capacity for Jeeps with all these factors in mind.
This capacity model has many great features: water-resistant design, digital LED display, overheat protection.
Along with metal gears, large rubber hooks, three sets of rubber chains, three gear speeds, steel gears, etc.
I hope this helps you determine winch size and select a good mounting point for it.
Video Guide
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